Primrose Everdeen
by Muzy-fuzzy
Summary: What would have happened if Katniss didn't take Prim's spot in The Hunger Games? Would anything be any different? What a new story unfold? Will Prim start a rebellion like Katniss did in the original book? This is my version and rated T to be sure
1. Chapter 1

**Just read the hunger games trilogy for like the fifth time and finally got an Idea for a fan fiction for it! This is both based on book and movie.**

**So all of time it's Prim's point of view**

* * *

I woke up screaming my heart out.

"It was just a dream" That is what Katniss have told me. But what if its not just a dream? What if my name is actually gonna be called picked and called out. I'm already twelve years old and I have a 50/50 chance of being in thoose awful games.

"deep in the meadow, under the willow" Katniss' sings

"A bed of grass, a soft green pillow" I sang with her.

"continue the song"

and I did, in my head though. Katniss went out for a while, probabbly out to find Gale or to see Madge. Katniss is the provider of the family, ever since our dad died and ever since my mom shut down from us. She has been hunting at the age of twelve. Un-like me and mom are the healers of district 12.

I got up from my bed and went to see where's my mom. I saw her sewing my reaping day outfit.

"I'm almost done with your dress" my mom told me, I just noded to her.

I drank a glass of lady's milk and went to clean myself. Katniss always reminded me that we have to be clean and presentable to Effie amd the capitol incase either of us got picked. I got into my first reaping day dress which was a skirt and a ruffled blouse. My mom alo braided my hair, the style that she used to do with katniss when she was my age.

Katniss came back from hunting or where ever she's been. My mother offers her old dress to Katniss for reaping day. After she washed her body she got dressed and mom did her hair.

"you look beautiful" I said in a hushed tone

"I'm nothing like myself" Katniss said. Then she hugged me knowing that the next few hours will be the most awful hours of my life. Katniss told me that I'm safe as I can get because my name was only entered once.

"tuck your tail in little duck" she said as she fixed the blouse that has been pulled out of my skirt.

"Quack" I said silently and giggled lightly

"Quack yourself" She said with a light laugh

* * *

We ate a little lunch. Then went to the square. Many new 12 years old are at the square and I saw some peacekeepers pricking blood from them. I stopped for a second, okay I know its just a little blood but its scary.

Katniss must have noticed I stopped but she just wanked me to the line

"don't worry Prim. It's just a little blood" She said

we kept on walking until Katniss let go of my hand to go with the rest of the sixteen years old while I went in line with the twelve year old kids.

The rest of the events went in a blur when Effie showed us something from the capitol. Then the next thing I knew was Effie's voice bringing up the name:

"Primrose Everdeen"


	2. Chapter 2

"Primrose Everdeen!"Effie Trinket's squeaky, overly-excited voice echoes.

The audience silences and heads turn to me. I look up at the screen, and see my face, white as a dove. I take a deep breathe and step forward towards the podium. Not a single mouth says a word as I pass by each silent, lucky face. Not an "I'm sorry", or a "Good luck". I reach the podium and scan the crowd, looking for my mother. She is next to Teajai Lukens wallowing away in his shoulder. I search for Katniss in the group of sixteen-year-olds-but she is no where to be found. Funny, she was there when we arrived. Where did Katniss go? I search beyond the gate, towards the woods, and see her finally, dodging anything not covered by a tree or bush. I gasp to myself, because I know what is happening. She is leaving.

Katniss always talked about leaving. How she hated the Capitol, all that they had done to us. She hated being poor, and not being able to support us the way she wanted to. I always told her it was OK, that I could learn to hunt like her, and support myself, but she said OK was what had gotten my father killed. She believed it was someone else's fault that the mine accident happened. I was only seven, and I was not nearly as close to my father as Katniss was. He was her everything. I mean everything. When he died, a piece of her died too. Like she wasn't the same anymore. She used to be happy, and even though she was one year away from the Reaping, she still knew she would have her father by her side if she ever got chosen.

Katniss told me her friend Gale was the one who came up with the idea. That right before the reaping, they just leave District 12 without any trace of them. But Katniss said it would be too obvious if they had tried to leave _before _the Reaping. It would be more sensible to come to the Reaping, and then leave.

Katniss never stops to listen for what name was called. She will probably never see me again. I can be classified as dead by now. I have no training expierence, I'm not as skilled with an arrow like her, and I would never be. Effie Trinket smiles at me, her pink hair slightly slanted to the right, revealing her curls. She slinks one arm around me, and sits me in a chair on stage.

"Let's hear it for our tribute! Primrose Everdeen!" The audience claps slowly, and quietly, but even over the claps, I can still hear my mother's cries. I fight back tears the best I can, but I can't help slipping one or two tears out of my eyes.

_Be strong, Prim. Be strong for Mom. Be strong for Dad. Be strong for _**Katniss.**

I watch the audience slowly shake their heads; a couple walk back inside their homes. Now I really try to fight back tears. My sister always told me that if you cry, the other tributes will think you're weak. And they'll make you their first target. Effir crosses back over to the ball with the millions of names in it and picks out the boy tribute. She clears her throat before speaking into the mic.

"Peeta Mellark." She says. Again, the heads turn to the sixteen-year-old category and Peeta makes his way to the stage without a word. He bows when he finally makes it, and plops down in the seat next to me. I watch him as he takes deep breaths and looks at the camera. The look in his eyes looks as if he was trying to melt the camera with his eyes. The mayor says the Treaty of Treason and the Panem anthem plays. I watch the families walk back into their homes, where they are safe. I can't help think that those families are probably laughing in their homes now. Betting one another how soon it will be until I get killed. They're lucky. They're safe. They aren't going into The Hunger Games.

I am taken into a white room with beautiful couches and soft carpet. The door is locked behind me, and I hear Effie's high-pitched giggle from behind the door. I see her shadow twirl off away from the door, until her sillouhette is no longer visible. I sit down on the couch, and run my fingers through the soft fabric. It's so rich, I've never seen anything like it. Except maybe one of Katniss's dresses she's worn for the Reaping.

Katniss!

My mother, what will she be thinking when she realizes Katniss is gone? She already sits in her room all day crying because of my father, but now that she doesn't have Katniss, she will die of starvation, since Katniss was the only one who could feed us. She will be lonley, with no food, or water. I let all the tears I've been holding back burst out of my eyes and I quickly wipe away the water stains I make on the couch. My mother will die, I'll never see Katniss again, and I'm in The Hunger Games.

No Effie Trinket, the odds are not in my favor today.


	3. Chapter 3

"We're here!"

I look forward to see where exactly we are at. Had I been staring out the window the entire ride? We are parked in front of the train that is going to be taking us to The Capitol. I step out and dust clouds around me. Peeta slides out after me and pushes me to the side slightly.

"Excuse you?" I snap at him. He gives me a sheepish smile and looks at the train.

"I've never seen anything like this before." He says to Haymitch, who is still trying to find his footing. Haymitch wraps his arm around me and balances himself.

"You look like someone I know," He says. He puts his hand to his chin like he's thinking real hard.

"Primrose, that's who you look like. She's in the Hunger Games." I push his arm off of me and roll my eyes. Peeta pats me on the shoulder. "Don't let him get to you kid." I nod a little too quickly, but roll my eyes in my head. I don't like being called a kid.

"Okay, why don't we get you two inside to your rooms?" Effie says as she comes over to us. She leads us inside the train and tells us how even though we're going in the Hunger Games, we should be thankful for all the delicious meals we're receiving and that we'll have so much fun. Yeah right. I make my way down the hall and into the first room I see. I gently sit down on the raggedy mattress and sigh in relief. The mattress brings me back home to my bed. I think of the nights when I would sneak into my mother's bed when I was too scared to sleep alone. Katniss used to tell me stories of all the terrible things that lived outside the district. Trackerjackers, rabid animals-hunters. I would dream that I was being attacked by all three of them most nights which made me glad I nursed sick things instead of hunting for them. I slide my finger over the cheap mattress and take deep breathes to calm my nerves. Effie comes in and tells me lunch is served. I get up and head into the dining area of the train.

"Bon apetite!" Effie says. I have no idea what that means, but I hope it means eat now, because I'm starving. I cram down the mashed potatoes on my plate. They're so warm and tasty, I can't help but stick my plate out to Effie begging for more. Effie looks at me with a disgusting look on her face and shoos the plate away from her. I slowly set it down and start eating my salad silently. Peeta tries making conversation with Effie about the games, why they were created and if there was any chance we could stop them.

Effie takes in a deep breathe before saying, "Possibly. The Games have been going on for a while now, and I think the districts have gotten the message by now. But, it isn't up to me. It's up to President Snow." I give out a sigh of relief just as Haymitch stumbles in through the polished arches.

"It's lunch already?" He says in a made up accent. I watch him take a swig of his liquor and fall to the ground laughing. Effie rolls her eyes and before I can help him up, Peeta is there in an instant, telling Haymitch everything's alright, and he has nothing to worry about. Effie smiles brightly and thanks Peeta. "Maybe you should be a little more considerate, Primrose." She says. I cut my eyes at Peeta and he again smiles sheepishly and looks away.

"Anyone got anything to drink?" Haymitch asks. I hand him a cup of water before Peeta can. Haymitch looks at the water with an upset face, but drinks it anyways. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and then looks at the both of us.

"You're the two tributes? Huh, good luck winning with the way you guys look."

I fold my arms and scowl at Haymitch. "Now you may be drunk, but I won't stand here and be treated like this. You're supposed to help us with our sponsers and you can't do that when you're drunk all the time!" I yell. Haymitch is taken by surprise and for a moment, I think the drunk look in his eye has vanished. He grins slightly and stands up.

"You're going to do perfect in the Games." He says before staggering out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

I slump down on my bed and stare out the window. How I longed to go home, and be with my mother again. I would have Katniss by my side along with Lady, my goat. I would sit and nurture her while Katniss would be out hunting, something I disagreed strongly on. My mother would be trying to heal someone in her room, just as she usually did when she wasn't moping in the corner. If only District 13 hadn't rebelled. If only the Hunger Games hadn't been invented. If only my name wasn't chosen.

"Prim, may I come in?" A silent voice says. I open the door to see Peeta smiling at me.

I scowl. "Only Katniss can call me Prim." I say.

He nods and proceeds to the bed. He plops down and pats the seat next to him. I roll my eyes but sit down.

"Prim..er..Primrose, I want to talk to you." He states. I roll my eyes again.

"Obviously." I mutter. I bite my lip. That came out meaner than I wanted. He sighs and looks away. He stays like that for a while before closing his eyes, sighing, and turning back to me.

"Primrose, I love your sister," He begins.

I widen my eyes and drop my mouth. He nods his head and sighs.

"It's true. I've loved her for a very long time now. I'm going to protect you for Katniss. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you. I want you to win. I know I've been acting, well..mean since we got here, but I'm not sure what to do around you. I want to make a good impression on you so when you go home you can tell your sister about me." He finishes. I shake my head.

"Katniss isn't even in District 12 anymore. She ran away." I blurt out. Peeta stands up and eyes me.

"She what?" He asks. I stand up and look him in the eye.

"Peeta, she's gone, I saw her and Gale running away during The Reaping." Peeta's face goes blank. His breathing turns heavy.

_"Gale?" _He asks. I nod my head. Suddenly, I embrace Peeta. I wrap my arms around his waist and curl my fingers. Tears silently slip down my eyes. Peeta looks down at me.

"I'm never going to see Katniss again, Peeta. Never. I don't want to be here. I want to go home!" I cry into his stomach. Peeta softly rubs the top of my head. I hear him quietly weep.

We stand there, hugging each other, crying. Peeta stops crying and sits back down. I stand in front of him, wiping the tears remaining on my cheek.

"Like I said, Primrose, I will not let anything hurt you. I don't want you to lose in the Games." He says. I sniffle.

"But what if I don't win? What if there's no time for you to save me?" I ask.

Peeta hushes me. "You ask too many questions," He says, a soft smile forming on his lips. He hugs me one last time before we go into the other car to speak with Haymitch.

Haymitch is sitting at a table, mindlessly shaking his empty wine cup, as if that'll make more appear. He spots us come in and stares at us as if he's never seen us before. I shake my head and pull up a chair across from him. Peeta sits next to me.

"Haymitch, we need you to focus for us." I state. Peeta and I exchange glances. He nods his head of approval, and I go back to Haymitch. He pours another glass of red wine, before tossing the cup down and drinking straight from the bottle.

"Focus? Why? You guys are as good as dead." He says. I grit my teeth to keep me from yelling again. Peeta takes the bottle from Haymitch and sets it next to him.

"Not if you help us. Advice. We need advice on staying alive. Tips. Anything." Peeta begs. Haymitch leans back in his chair and lets out a sickening howl.

"Advice? Don't die." He says, laughing loudly again. Just watching him laugh twists something inside of me, and I lose it.

I leap across the table and knock Haymitch out of his seat. I raise a knife and jam into the floor, and inch away from his head. Haymitch eyeballs the knife from the corner of his eye. He stares back at me and smirks.

"Well, we certainly do have a little bark in you." He says as his eyes flicker over to Peeta. Peeta stands up and grabs another knife. He aims it towards Haymitch's head and throws it, having it land only inches above his head. Haymitch smiles and nods his head.

"We have a little bit of bark in _both _of you, I see."

I angrily lift the knife from the floor and set it on the table. Peeta folds his arms and leaves the knife above Haymitch's head, to remind him that he isn't just a baker's son. Haymitch uneasily lifts himself from the ground and holds onto the table to catch his footing.

"You two might stand a chance in the arena. We'll talk later. It's time I head to bed." He says then staggers into the other car.

I sit in my chair and think about what Haymitch said. We both have a little bark in us. That's good, right? It means I can stand a chance in the arena. He did say _both _though. Meaning Peeta had just as much a chance that I did.

What if Peeta's pretending to care about me? What if he's lying to me about loving Katniss? He says he'll protect me and once we get in the arena he kills me off? Or leaves me to defend for myself while the others kill me off? All these questions are roaming around in my head, that I didn't even notice Peeta has left. I get up from my chair and head back to my room to get some sleep. If I can't process this through my mind now, I might have a better chance tomorrow.

I wake up the next morning to Effie screaming down the hall calling us to breakfast. I stagger out of bed and place a green and black shirt on with some jeans. We've never dressed this nice before at home. It felt good to wear rich clothing. I go to the next car and sit down for breakfast.

A plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, a slice of bread and orange juice is placed before me. I lick my lips and dive into the eggs. The eggs are so fluffy and moist. I look over to Peeta, who is taking nibbles of his toast. I stop eating for a minute. He's doing what I should be doing, saving my food. I might not ever taste food as wonderful as this and I should savor it. Then again, Peeta has had bread galore. He doesn't know what it's like to be starving all the time. I shrug my shoulders and dive into the bacon. Effie clears her throat.

"Prim, Peeta, have you discussed the games with Haymitch yet?" She asks. I nod.

"It didn't go as well as we planned." Peeta says. Haymitch gives Peeta a small scowl and takes a drink of the wine in his hand.

"Well, you know, Haymitch _is _your mentor. He's the one who is trying to get you sponsors. You might want to try and cooperate with him." Effie says. I roll my eyes and swallow the bacon.

"He's a drunk mess. No way _anyone _can cooperate with him." I shut my mouth instantly.

I have never spoken to anyone in such language. I don't sass usually, and I'm never rude. This was a side of me I had never seen. Effie presses her lips together tightly. Before she can speak, the train starts to slow down. We look out the window and see the Capitol's bright lights ahead. It's almost blinding. I look at Effie, who glances between Peeta, Haymitch, and I. She smiles brightly.

"We're here!" She cries in her loud-pitched voice.

We pull up into the station and are immediately escorted to the Remake Center. I see Effie waving to us and smiling.

"Have fun! I know you'll enjoy it!" She cries.

If only that were true.


	5. Chapter 5

_Yank! _I wince loudly as a pink haired lady named Katya tugs a knot in my hair. She jumps back at the sound of the knot being freed.

"Yikes!" She pipes. "Must your hair be so knotty?" I grit my teeth slowly and give her a I'm-not-afraid-to-bite-your-head-off look. She smiles and softy combs through my hair. I hate the Remake Center. It's so..ugh. The ladies dress like circus clowns (something we learned about in History class), and the men all wear tights and long sleeves. It's sickening all together. Why anyone would want to come here to be remade is beyond me. Katya takes one last brush through my thick hair and claps gleefully.

"All done!" She cries. I take a look in the mirror. My hair is actually _pretty. _I had never seen it so well combed through. I hadn't even noticed I had layers beyond layers. It was so soft and shiny. I turn to Katya and smile.

"Thank you. I never thought I would ever see my hair like this." I say. She curtsies. I am then taken to a different room to meet my stylist, Cinna. Katya says he's the best in the business. By the way she dresses, I highly doubt that. I sit on a small pedestal and shiver. The Capitol is so cold. Not even in District 12 had we experienced such low temperatures. The door suddenly swings open, and out steps a young looking man, who I assume is Cinna.

Cinna is tall, around six foot, and has short brown hair. He stares at me with his beautiful brown eyes. I examine his clothing. Tights and a long sleeved shirt. Just as I had predicted. I flinch in reaction to the cold. Cinna smiles.

"The cold's getting to you, too?" I nod.

"Why is it so freezing?" I ask, wrapping my around myself. Cinna scowls at the window, which gives us the view of the Capitol.

"The people here need the cold temperature to keep their fake whatever...y'know fake. They're afraid if they don't their fake boobs, or nose, or chin will melt off." He says. I furrow my eyebrows. "You mean like the fake stuff is made out of wax?" I ask. Cinna shakes his head. "Beats me what it's made out of." He says, ending the conversation.

He walks around me in circles, examining my body. I had always been insecure, unlike Katniss. Katniss never cared about what people thought of her body. Cinna stops in front of me and nods. "Okay," He says. "you're acceptable." Acceptable? He couldn't have chosen a more vague word. Cinna puts his hands to his chin and sighs. "I might have an idea." He says. I think back to Katniss, what she would say about all of this_. _

_Horrifying. Just horrifying. _

I could hear her beautiful sing-song voice saying it, too. How I missed her so much. I hope nothing happened to her and Gale. I hope she decided running away was stupid and turned back and came home. Maybe she found out I was in the Games and wanted to watch. Maybe she didn't.

"What's your idea?" I ask. Cinna just stands there and smiles.

An hour or two later, I'm standing in front of him in a black unitard from head to toe. I look down at the outfit and gulp. Cinna smiles and faces me to a mirror. He nods approvingly. "Perfect." He whispers.

Hours pass. Peeta and I are standing on our chariot waiting to go out to the city. I am nervously gripping the edge of the chariot as I stare at the other tributes. They all look so beautiful in their outfits. Gorgeous colors, shining and all. We're just, average. District 1's chariot starts moving towards the city, and I know it's time. I gulp and let go of the chariot. My body feels stone-like. I feel as if I can't move. Peeta nudges my shoulder. I look to him.

"Keep your cool. Smile." He whispers. I nod and breathe. I hear the cheers of the city. Cheering for the other districts. No one ever has cared for District 12. Not since Haymitch become who he is now. A drunk mess. I watch Rue, a girl from District 11, turn to me and smile. She's the same age as me. I wonder if she is as scared as I am? If her heart is pounding twice as normal?

So many questions are floating around my head, that I don't even notice the announcer has announced District 12 and we are in front of everybody. I smile softly and give a little wave. The crowd is cheering loudly for_-_Peeta. I look to him. He looks pretty good, actually. The unitard makes his muscles show and he looks twice the size he was before. His skin is glowing like mine, and his blond hair shines from all the lights. Then Peeta does the unthinkable. He wraps his arm around me like we're a brother/sister duo. The audience's cheer goes wild. I hear the crowd chanting Peeta's and my name.

The other districts have stopped smiling and are looking at us now. I look at the screen that enlarges our faces. We look...cute. Like the perfect brother and sister. I smile even brighter and even give the audience a thumbs up. I stay like this until our chariot has gone into the Training Center.

We step off and are escorted into the building that will be our homes until the Games start. I enter the elevator with Peeta, and he presses the _12 _button on the panel.

"That was clever," I say to break the ice. "what you did there." Peeta shrugs. "The people are always looking for something to entertain them." I look out the glass wall at the people. They all look so tiny, and happy. How I would kill to live here. Never have to join the stupid Hunger Games. Never have to have my siblings hunt for food. I could sleep peacefully every night.

The other districts have stopped smiling and are looking at us now. I look at the screen that enlarges our faces. We look...cute. Like the perfect brother and sister. I smile even brighter and even give the audience a thumbs up. I stay like this until our chariot has gone into the Training Center.

We step off and are escorted into the building that will be our homes until the Games start. I enter the elevator with Peeta, and he presses the _12 _button on the panel.

"That was clever," I say to break the ice. "what you did there." Peeta shrugs. "The people are always looking for something to entertain them." I look out the glass wall at the people. They all look so tiny, and happy. How I would kill to live here. Never have to join the stupid Hunger Games. Never have to have my siblings hunt for food. I could sleep peacefully every night.

"You want to live here, don't you?" Peeta says suddenly. I snap my head over to his direction. I blush slightly.

"Is it that obvious?" I say sheepishly. Peeta laughs. "I understand why you would. Food, shelter. No participation in the Games." He says. I cock my head to the side. "Wouldn't you want live here?" I ask. Peeta looks at me and shakes his head.

"Not a chance. This place may be rich, but it's like a prison. They have you dress in ridiculous costumes, and you have to watch everything you say. If you say one thing that upsets the Capitol, you're dead." I take a minute to take in what Peeta says. He's right. Saying one thing wrong, and you would be immediately killed. No one, not even the people in the Capitol are safe.

We step out of the elevator when it finally reaches the twelfth level. I make my way to my room and stop in front of the door. Kids at school in the Seam always told me wild stories about these places. That crazy animals lived in here and ran amok, eating your sheets and clothes. I took a deep breath before creaking the door open.

I stare at the gigantic room. It lacked any sign of animals. It had a big bed, like my mother's, but it had silky sheets. The bathroom was the size of my entire room. It had bright white walls with mini pictures of President Snow painted on the border. Each one had a different face of him. I roll my eyes and plop on the bed. How I would love to just melt away in the sheets, but before I even try to fall asleep, Effie is calling us for dinner, which is good, because I haven't eaten since we were still on the train.

I silently move down the hall and into the dining room. Cinna and Portia greet me and pull up a chair for me. I smile and sit. We all eat silently for a while, before Cinna blurts out:

"What you did in the ceremonies was unforgettable." I exchange glances with Peeta, who just smiles. Haymitch nods.

"It's true. That brother/sister duo thing you pulled has really got the crowd going. Now they think you two want to protect each other in the games. Genius." He says. I look to Cinna. He smiles and gives me a thumbs up. I take a bite into my noodles and hum to myself. It stays quiet for a while until Peeta looks up at Haymitch.

"So what are we going to do about our training sessions?" Peeta asks. I look up as well and wait for Haymitch to respond. Haymitch silently takes a sip of his wine.

"I can't tell you both anything specific, I have to wait to coach you personally, but for now I'll say don't upset them. Don't say or do anything that you aren't sure is right. A few years before my games, a girl decided she was upset at the Gamemakers and threw a knife into one of the their backs." Haymitch starts. I shudder to myself. The thought of being stabbed in the back.

"Luckily, he didn't die," Haymitch continues. "but as soon as she stepped one foot off her platform during the games, she was blown up immediately. The Gamemakers don't fool around, you know." I sit back in my chair and shudder again. Just the very thought of seeing someone blown up right before your eyes could scar anyone. I take another bite of my noodles and try to chew quietly.

Once dinner is finished, I slowly head back to my room. I crawl into bed and stare into the darkness. That poor girl had no idea what she was thinking when she threw that knife into the Gamemaker's back. What if I can't control my temper and I throw a knife into someone? What if I don't get a good score during my training session.? Then I won't get any sponsors. I shake my head and try to block out any negative thoughts. I shut my eyes tightly and try my best to sleep, but I end up tossing and turning all over the bed. Just as I was about to decide whether to sneak up to the roof or go sit in the dining room for a while, someone knocks on my door.

I slither out of bed and pry the door open. Peeta stands there with a soft smile.

"Can't sleep?" He asks. I smile sheepishly. "How can you tell?" Peeta flickers his eyes over to my bed.

"You're a pretty loud restless sleeper." He says, a tone of humor in his voice. I giggle quietly. No one is supposed to be awake at this time. "I suppose you can't sleep as well?" I ask him. Peeta looks around the hallway before entering my room. "You can say that," He says. He sits down on the bed and runs his fingers through his hair. "I guess I couldn't stop thinking about some things." He says. I sit next him with a curious look on my face.

"Like what?" I ask. Peeta smirks. "Like Katniss." He says. My curious look fades away and is replaced with a sorrow one. Peeta sees my expression and gives me a hug. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." I shake my head.

"No," I say, "I'm not upset." I try to sound tough but as I say those words, my lips are quivering and tears are beginning to form in my eyes. Peeta hugs me even tighter and rocks me slightly.

"I wish you weren't here." He says. I blink and let a tear drip out my eye. "I wish we both weren't here." I say. We hear the sound of an elevator chime and Peeta quickly gets up and runs to the door. "Goodnight, Primrose." He says. I wipe the tears out of my eyes.

"Prim," I say, stopping Peeta from running out the door. "you can call me Prim." Peeta looks to me with tears about to fall. His face softens and he smiles in relief before dashing out the door. I crawl back into bed and smile to myself. Peeta can call me Prim now. He no longer has to refer to me by my full name. I think about Katniss running away with Gale. Has she been caught yet? How far has she gotten. I shut my eyes and as one last thought pops in my head.


	6. Chapter 6

I awake to the sound of clothes being picked up off the floor. I open my eyes and see a girl-probably sixteen-picking up my clothes. I smile sheepishly.

"Sorry about the mess." I say. The girl shakes her head and continues to pick up the clothes. I hop off the bed and try my best to smooth out the sheets. I look to the girl for approval. She nods and smiles without her teeth showing. I glance at the door. "When will breakfast be ready?" I ask. The girl stands still for a moment, as if she were trying to decide how to answer my question. She finally just shrugs her shoulders. I furrow my eyebrows.

"Can you talk?" I ask. The girl sadly shakes her head. I bite my lip. "Are you mute?" The girl again shakes her head. I scratch my head. "Then how come you can't talk?" I ask. I mentally slap myself for asking so many questions. The poor girl can't talk and here I am asking her ten hundred questions like she has all the answers in the world. She hesitates for a moment before opening her mouth wide and showing me that she has no tongue. I widen my eyes and stare at her.

"You have no tongue?" I ask, not caring how many questions I ask. She rolls her eyes as if she's saying '_Duh. _I just showed you that.' I run my hands through my hair.

"How did this happen?" The girl bends down and continues picking up the clothes. I take that as the conversation being over. Just as I was about to help, Effie is knocking on my door, telling me that breakfast is ready. I wave goodbye to the tongueless girl and make my way to the dining room.

I see Peeta already sitting in his chair squirming around, waiting impatiently for his breakfast. Weird kid. I pull up a chair beside him and clasp my hands on the table. Effie sits across from me and nods.

"Excellent manners, Prim." She says. "Keep that up and you will get an exceptional score from the Gamemakers." I look to Peeta from the corner of my eye and I see him move in his chair uncomfortably, as if something in his underwear is rubbing him the wrong way. A plate is set in front of me and I take no hesitation to devour it. The egg whites taste so delicious that I can't stop myself from looking up to the servant to ask how the cook made them so good. I almost choke when I see who is serving me.

"Oh my...it can't be..._Katniss?_" I squeak out. I hear the _clink! _of Peeta's fork hit the plate. The entire table is silent. Even Haymitch has stopped eating his omelet to witness this.

Katniss looks at me with sorrowful eyes and doesn't say a word. She pours me a glass of orange juice and silently walks towards the kitchen door. I stand up and follow after her, before having someone pull me back.

"Katniss!" I scream, tears streaming down my eyes. "Katniss wait! _Please!_" Katniss stops at the door. She stays there for a good minute before pushing the door open angrily and storming through. I am taken back to my seat. I look to Peeta for comfort, who has a blank expression, his hand still in the same position when he dropped his fork on the plate. I turn to Effie. She is shaking her head at the door Katniss just walked through. I stand up and slam my hands on the table, anger taking over me.

"Why is she here?" I yell, my eyes still wet. Effie takes a bite of her eggs. "She got caught." Effie explains. "Your so called perfect-sister was caught running away from her district. She skipped the Reaping and was found with some boy in District 10. Who knows where they were going, but it doesn't matter now." I grit my teeth.

"Did you cut her tongue?" I ask slowly, spite gripping every word. Effie doesn't flinch.

"Let's just say Katniss won't be able to tell you what it's like riding in a hovercraft". She says. I let go of the table I realized I was gripping on and flee the room. I storm to my room and slam the door shut, never wanting to come out. I sit on my bed and cry, realizing I had just made the biggest mistake in my life. I had yelled at an escort. I had stormed out of the room without being told to do so. I had slammed my door shut like I was an angry teen at home. I disrespected Effie in so many ways, that killing me right in the very spot I was in wouldn't have been enough punishment. I was done for. Toast. In big-time trouble.

* * *

I hear a gentle knock at my door, who I assume are the people coming to kill me. I say goodbye to my mother, Katniss, my father, and all the people I loved. I open the door to see it's only Peeta.

"Are you ok, Prim?" He asks. I bite my lip and look at him. He shakes his head.

"I wish I could've done something," He begins. "but seeing your sister again and knowing why she was here just...it shocked me. I thought I was going to be like that forever. I am so sorry Prim. I wish I hadn't frozen like that and I had done something.." His voice trails off. Tears silently slip down his eyes. It's the first time I've ever seen him cry. He doesn't seem like a crier. I envelope him in a hug, and whisper to him that everything is alright, even though I'm positive it isn't.

Around ten or so, Peeta and I are escorted to the training gym. Different areas are set up for different skills. Peeta decides to go to the weight lifting station, while I easily slide my way over to the arrows. I have never really used one before and Haymitch says to begin with working with what you don't normally use.

I uneasily pick up the bow and try to aim for the dummy that's been set up. I let go of the arrow and it flies only a foot in front of me. I hear the snickers of the other tributes. I sigh and pick up the arrow and try again. It flies farther, but still landing feet away from the dummy. I watch the other tributes send their arrows perfectly into the dummy's heart without even flinching. The way they so perfectly caress the bow fascinates me.

I try my best to hold the bow the same way they do. I gently pull on the string, and let the arrow go. This time it flies. And I mean flies. The arrow stabs the dummy next to his eye. I smile and look to the other tributes.

Most of them are still shooting arrows, as if they hadn't seen me, but there's one girl who stares at my arrow with a jealous look. Glimmer, I think is her name. I watch her steadily aim her arrow and hit my dummy in the heart. This-for some strange reason-rubs me the wrong way.

I hiss under my breath and walk away. From the corner of my eye I can see Glimmer (I think) smirking at me, satisfied that she had drew another victim away. I pass by the knife station and linger a little. Haymitch said to wait to use our strengths with the Gamemakers. But one knife catches my attention.

The way it's designed-beautiful wood carving on the handle, and razor sharp blade, which could have only been made by the Capitol. I decide to try it just once. I casually toss the knife at the target and hit somewhere near the center of the target, not anywhere near to perfect.

I smile to myself because I think I'm doing pretty good. I hate that I'm going to have to use the knifes, but hopefully everybody else will kill each other before I can kill anybody.

Peeta strolls past me and whistles in my ear. I look at him and he nods his head over to the Gamemakers' table. I lower my head.

"I know," I whisper "I shouldn't be here. But the knives were so pretty, I _had _to try it." Peeta laughs at this.

"I know what you mean. Don't worry. Your patience will pay off soon." He says. I take one last glance at the knives and make my way over to the knots station.

It takes me an hour to make a perfect animal catching knot, and by the time I've barely learned the fundimentals of creating a knot to catch someone by their foot, it's time for lunch. Everyone is gathered at a table surrounded by an endless banquet.

Peeta and I help ourselves to some pasta, steak, and bread rolls. We sit alone at a separate table while everyone else sits with each other, paying no attention to each other except their district partner.

"Good bread, right?" Peeta asks. I laugh, knowing he's just saying that to catch the attention from the District 11 tributes. The District 11 girl, Rue, turns to me and stares at me. I start to feel uncomfortable with her just staring at me, so I tear pieces off my bread and assort them on my plate.

"OK there?" Peeta asks. I jump at his question. Had he been watching me this entire time? I nod my head a little too eagerly. "Fine. Just not that hungry, that's all." I say. Peeta nods cautiously.

"Alright then." He says.

Dinner rolls around, and Haymitch and Effie won't stop talking about the private sessions tomorrow. After listening to the blabber about what and what not to do, I feel as if I have already gone to my training session.

I lay on my bed and wait impatiently to fall asleep. I think about the training in the gym today, Glimmer, and Rue. Is Rue just as worried about the training as me? We're both twelve, so maybe we both have the same thoughts, or ideas. Is she laying on her bed right now thinking about going home to her mother and sister-if she even has a sister-like I am? Maybe she's worrying about the safety of her family, and herself. Maybe she's not even worried at all. All these thoughts float around in my head until I shut my eyes and fall asleep.

* * *

The next day Peeta and I do the same as usual in the gym; mess around with the things we know won't be useful in the games but try to stay busy. At lunch, they will be calling the districts one by one to have their private session. I practice shooting the arrows, and manage to hit a few dummy's in the leg or arm. Glimmer watches me and finally speaks to me.

"So are you supposed to be good at arrows or something?" She says, obviously joking, probably thinking she's the best. I'm ready to tell her that I think knives are more my thing, but remember I'm not supposed to give away my secret weapon.

"I'm not sure what I'm good at. I'm trying my hand at everything." I say. Glimmer aims her arrow at a target further past the dummies, and hits the bulls eye. She smirks at me.

"_That's _some talent right there." She says. "Don't worry about the games, they'll be quick and over before you know it." She fake smiles at me and gracefully walks over to the knots. I grit my teeth and hiss again. It takes all my strength not to grab a knife and throw it straight at her golden curly hair she's always messing with. I aim my arrow for anywhere on the target field and let it fly. It hits the ceiling light, sending sparks flying. Everyone stops what they're doing and pays attention to me. I look around embarrassed, toss the arrow down and flee the room, just as lunch is being served.

One by one, each tribute is leaving the lunchroom, and silently slipping into the private training room. I anxiously wait for my name to be called. When District 11's boy is called, I am now squirming in my seat, because my name is next.

When my name is called, I swear it's echoed through the entire gym, bouncing off the walls, ringing in my ears. I know I have to get a good score. I glance at Peeta and he gives me a good luck thumbs-up. I stroll into the Gamemakers room.

They smile at and begin scribbling notes on their paper. I remember what Haymitch said.

"Be respectful. Don't be rude. Show them what you're best at." I nod to myself and make my way to the knives. I pick up one-the one that had me in a trance earlier-and prepare to capture a dummy animal. I toss it straight at the dummy bunny set up's eye and miss it by a at least three inches. \

I cringe and scold myself. I can hear the soft murmmers of the Gamemakers and their pencils are moving on their clipboard. I take a breathe and grab another knife. I aim at a deer's neck this time, right where it's jugular should be, and I throw it.

It merely misses where I wanted it and hit's it more on it's chin. I bow my head and am ready to cry, but then remember that the Gamemakers don't like crybabies. I stop throwing the knives and pick up an arrow. I aim for the ceiling and try to hit the light, like I did when I was angry at Glimmer. It hits the light perfectly and cracks the the light bulb. Shards of glass land in front of me. I turn to the Gamemakers and they 'ooh' and 'ah' at my skills. After a minute of scribbling notes down, they dismiss me.

Later that night, I decide not to go to dinner, because I can't bear seeing Katniss and thinking that her tongue is gone forever, so I keep myself busy by tracing the President Snow carvings on the border of the wall. What kind of score will I get since I messed up half of my throws today? Oh what does it matter? No one was even going to take me seriously anyways. I'm a twelve-year-old entering a fight till the death match with people who have been training for this since they could walk! I don't stand a chance. This is when I really start to cry.

I lie on the bed sobbing into the satin pillows until my leg is asleep. I shake it, trying to wake it up but to no avail. Effie comes in and tells me it's time to go watch the scores. I get up off the bed and hobble on my asleep foot down into the sitting room.

The t.v. broadcasts the Panem flag and plays it's anthem. Each tribute's name is shown, then their score. I nervously chew on my fingers, a habit Katniss got me into, while the other scores are shown.

All the tributes from 1, 2, and 4 receive a nine, no surprise there. Rue gets a nine also. Wow, wonder what techniques she showed the Gamemakers. District twelve's number is shown, then my picture. Underneath it a little seven is shown.

Seven? I groan and bury my head in my hands. I knew I wasn't going to get a score as high as most of the tributes, but a seven? They oohed and ahed at me though? They scribbled down many notes about me, notes that could only mean positive things. Suddenly, I feel slaps on my back and cheers from everyone.

"Alright. Seven! That's great." Effie squeals. I tilt my head to the side in confusion. "But I got a seven?" I say. Haymitch takes a sip of his wine.

"That's good. The other tributes won't expect much from you. Once the games start, you can show them how good you really are." He says. I think about this for a moment. He's right. The other tributes won't think I'll be much of a threat to them, so they might not worry about me and leave me alone until the end. I'm not much of a threat though. I didn't care if I was in the Hunger Games, I didn't plan on killing anyone. Nature could capture all of them for all I cared. I didn't want to send one knife into someone's body, ending them forever.

Peeta's picture is flashed on the screen with a score of ten. Everybody cheers for him. He shrugs and points at me.

"Yeah, but it's no seven." He says casually. I roll my eyes in response.

"Oh, c'mon. You got the best score. It's better than any seven." I retort. Peeta smirks. The anthem plays one last time, and the t.v. is shut off. We file out of the room and into our bedrooms. I lie in my bed and try desperately to fall asleep. I count sheep, sing songs, and sing myself lullabies. Nothing works. Suddenly, I hear a soft knock on my door, as if the person was afraid knocking would get them killed. I open and see Katniss.

Instantly tears spring in my eyes. Katniss stands motionless.

"How did you get caught?" I ask without thinking, even though I know she can't answer me. She wraps her arms around me and I feel tears drop onto my head. I look up and see Katniss crying. She makes no sound, but watching her cry makes me begin to bawl. Katniss covers my mouth immediately and puts a finger to her lips. I sniffle. She puts her balled up hand to her heart, and I draw in a quick breath.

When my father died, that was the last thing Katniss and I had seen him do before he went to work. It meant, I love you in so many ways. I ball up hand into a fist and place it at my heart.

"I love you, Katniss." I whisper, tears leaking out my eyes. Katniss turns her head and looks down the hallway. She hugs me and places a kiss on my cheek. I hold my hand to where her soft lips touched and whimper softly. She waves goodbye, trying hard not to let any tears out, but I can see them already starting to drip. I wave and the door shuts behind her.

* * *

**Double Update! Christmas has just been a drag to me!**

**What a chapter! I hope you liked it! Hope I surprised you in the beginning when you saw Katniss serving Prim. And if I didn't well, boo you, you ruined my fun): But anyways, Follow, Favorite and Review, and I'll see you next time when I update! Toodoolloo!**


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